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Friday, February 11, 2011

Update #131 on Kevin - ICU

Kevin is continuing to improve. We spoke with his doctor this afternoon and feel really good about Kevin's progress. He has been on CPAP settings on the vent for about 33 hours now with no problems. An hour or so ago, the doctor started lowering the pressure from 14 to 12 (PEEP) on the vent. After a couple hours, if he seems to tolerate it, they'll lower it again. They'll keep doing that and when he is tolerating an 8, they can switch him over to flowby.

For the past couple days, Kevin has been getting food through his feeding tube. It is the same formula that he gets at home, that is jevity 1.2.

For the infection in his body and pneumonia, Kevin has been getting three different antibiotics. Vancomyacin, piperacyllin and another more generic antiobiotic. While these are helping with his infection, there is a side effect too. There is potential for C-Diff in his colon. He had it at Saint Francis and Meadowbrook a year and a half ago, which makes him more likely to get it again. They tested him for it, and we should find out tomorrow.

The doctors' focus had shifted onto the blood in Kevin's urine. Last night they took three steps towards diagnosing it. First they changed his catheter. Next they tried irrigating his bladder. Then they took him for a Ctscan. When they changed the catheter, they found that it had been put in incorrectly when he arrived in the ER. The urologist said just that could have caused the bleeding that we have been seeing since arriving (especially since his blood was too thin). The irrigation has been flushing any blood out of his bladder, and right now the blood is very faint. The ctscan showed nothing of importance and therefore would not need to do a scope based on the ctscan.

We are starting to have more routine with Kevin again. Physical therapy has been coming by each day to work out his muscles and keep him from getting rigid. When they bathed him last night they also shaved him. He was starting to get scratchy barbs on his face so it was definitely time for a change.

For about 36 hours Kevin has been completely off of dopamine. That was the medicine used to raise his blood pressure to regular levels. His blood pressure has stabilized and is doing good. Right now, it is 100/65 with a map of 78. Looking good.

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About Kevin

This is from Kevin's own words off a profile online: "My name is Kevin and I shoot striaght. I like to joke around though and enjoy meeting people. My children are the highlights of my life next to GOD. My Mom, Dad, brothers, sister-in -law, and their children are very close to me also. I have many special friends and extended family and they know who they are. I love my job at AMERICAN AIRLINES. I'm a EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICER for the TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION LOCAL 514. I love softball, hunting, and being involed in the community. I like to help people. I think this is what God intended us to do. I have the honor of setting on several boards. Vision 2025, Redcross Chapter, Redcross Blood Services and recently I've been asked on the INCOG federal reserve Board. I know every day matters so live it like you should."